1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to mowing machines, and more specifically, to a lawn mower that can selectively function as a bagging mower, a mulching mower and a discharge mower.
2. Description of Related Art
Lawn mowers for cutting grass, weeds and leaves with a rotating cutting blade housed in a downward-opening mower deck are well known in the art. Generally, lawn mowers are classified in one of three classes, specifically: (1) bagging mowers that collect the grass cut by the cutting blade in a grass receptacle such as a hopper or bag; (2) side-discharge mowers that discharge the cut grass through an opening in the side of the mower deck in order to leave the grass clippings on the lawn; and (3) mulching mowers that that chop the grass clippings more finely within the cutting chamber formed by the mower deck and discharge the clippings downward of the deck.
Bagging-type lawn mowers collect grass clippings in the grass receptacle in order to remove all of the clippings from the lawn, thereby providing a professional quality appearance. However, the grass clippings collected in the grass receptacle must be carried to and dumped at a disposal site. The side-discharge and mulching-mode lawn mowers eliminate the need for dumping the grass clippings by returning grass clippings to the lawn. Mulching mowers chop the grass clippings into finer pieces so that they decompose more rapidly and give the lawn a good finished quality. However, if the grass is exceptionally tall or thick, mulching mowers tend to bog down with the excess grass clippings, leaving unsightly clumps and causing the mower to frequently stall. In such situations, discharging the grass clippings through a discharge chute in the mower deck as found on a side-discharge mower is the preferred option. It is commonly the case that a lawn caretaker may desire to use each of these different modes at different times, even on the same plot of grass.
In recent years, lawn mowers have been developed that can be selectively configured to operate in more than just a single mode of operation, e.g., the mower may be configured to operate as a mulching mower and a bagging mower, or even as a mulching mower, a side-discharge mower and a bagging mower. It is, however, inconvenient to reconfigure these lawn mowers between the different operational modes. Converting the lawn mower to a different operational mode typically involves the manual installation and/or removal of parts to the lawn mower requiring time consuming work. For example, mulching operations typically require the installation of a discharge cover or plug which a user must install in the discharge opening of the mower deck. If the user wants to switch back to the bagging mode of operation, the user must remove the mulch plug and reinstall the grass-collecting hopper. Tools are typically required to install or remove the mulching plug. The awkward, inconvenient and relatively time consuming process of installing and uninstalling the discharge plug also requires the installer to reach into the discharge opening with his/her hand, which can be difficult and messy. Additionally, the components not being used in the selected mode of operation, such as the mulch plug or the grass collection receptacle, must be stored separate from the lawn mower. Often, these parts become lost or misplaced or are otherwise not readily available when needed.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved lawn mower that can be easily reconfigured between a bagging mode, a mulching mode and a discharge mode by simple operation.